After Moriyama announced the matchups, Arthur looked at his opponent: Dakenno Sanzu. A wave of anxiety hit him — not only did Sanzu also wield a sword, but he could manipulate earth as well.
Sanzu began by controlling the ground beneath him. Dust particles and small stones swirled around, drawn to his blade. As they fused with the metal, his sword grew heavier and stronger. Without hesitation, he charged at Arthur.
The two clashed with powerful sword strikes. Their strength was evenly matched, but Sanzu found an opening and reinforced his blade even further.
— Petrified Blade!
Arthur tried to block, but he was too slow. The blow landed hard, sending him flying across the arena.
— Aaarg... that was a good one, huh? — Arthur said, getting up, bruised but smiling.
— How did you withstand that? Whatever. I'll finish you off either way. — Sanzu replied coldly.
Arthur grinned and sprinted toward him.
— Rock Barrage!
Sanzu pointed his sword and fired a volley of stones. Arthur dodged each one with precision, never slowing down.
— {He's not getting away this time.} — Arthur thought.
He gripped his sword tightly and swung at Sanzu. The latter blocked, but to his surprise, his blade began to crack.
— {Who does he think he is? He's breaking my sword... it shouldn't be this easy.} — Sanzu thought, alarmed.
Realizing it would cost more mana to repair his weapon than to attack directly, Sanzu shifted tactics.
— Stone Fist!
A massive hand of rock burst from the ground, slamming Arthur in the stomach. The hand, which could be controlled briefly, launched him backward. Arthur twisted midair and landed on his feet.
— You really don't give up, do you? — Sanzu said.
— Of course not! How could I quit a fight this fun? — Arthur replied, energized.
Arthur charged again. Sanzu responded with another:
— Rock Barrage!
But Arthur had already figured it out. He shattered the stones midair with his sword. While distracted, he didn't notice the stone hand creeping up behind him.
It swiped at him — Arthur barely leapt over it in time. It moved so fast, he only saw a blur.
— You'll witness the power of nobility, Arthur! — Sanzu shouted.
The hand tried to punch, grab, and crush him, but Arthur dodged every attack with agility.
— {Damn it... I can't lose to someone like him. I won't disgrace my family.} — Sanzu thought, growing desperate.
As Arthur evaded the hand, Sanzu crept up behind him. He dismissed the stone fist, filling the air with dust, and poured all his remaining mana into his sword — he needed one final, decisive strike.
— Petrified Blade! — he activated it silently, with even more force.
Arthur sensed something was off. As he turned, Sanzu's blade slashed him from shoulder to abdomen. The impact was so strong it cleared the dust from the air and cracked the ground beneath Arthur's body.
— {That's it. I've won.} — Sanzu thought.
Moriyama considered stopping the match to prevent further injury — but before she could act, Arthur stood up.
— A-arg-g-g... hehehe... you're really something, Sanzu. — Arthur said, limping but smiling.
— You're going to get yourself killed. Are you sure you want to keep going? — Sanzu asked.
— I-I... — Arthur began, but was interrupted by a familiar voice.
— ARTHUR, COME ON! I BELIEVE IN YOU! — Mia shouted, breathless after running from the infirmary.
— After that... how could I possibly give up? — Arthur said, grinning through the pain.
— AAAAAAH! — Sanzu roared in frustration.
They resumed their swordfight with renewed fury. Arthur remembered his grueling training in the gravity chamber — and a faint red streak appeared in his hair.
Sanzu spotted a brief opening as Arthur drifted into memory. He struck with all his might — but Arthur blocked with such force that both swords shattered.
Now unarmed, they resorted to fists. Arthur was strong, but lacked martial arts skill. Sanzu took advantage, landing several clean hits.
He prepared to deliver a knockout punch to Arthur's chin.
— {This is it.} — Sanzu thought.
But in that exact moment, he made a critical mistake. Arthur spotted a gap. He dodged the punch, grabbed Sanzu's arm with his left hand, pulled him downward, and landed a clean punch to the face, knocking him out instantly.
— ARTHUR WINS THE MATCH! — Moriyama announced.
— STUDENTS, AS YOU KNOW, THE FIRST TWO MATCHES TO END DETERMINE THE FINALISTS. THE RESULTS ARE: FIRST MATCH TO END — KIDERO VS AYAME, WINNER: KIDERO. THE SECOND WAS...
— {Please let it be mine...} — Arthur thought (only the audience could see all matches simultaneously).
— ...SHIRŌ VS SHIORI. SHIRŌ WON. THE FINAL MATCH WILL BE KIDERO VS SHIRŌ. — Moriyama declared.
Arthur felt crushed, but proud. He had given everything. Still, a bitter taste lingered — he wanted to be in that final.
— Sensei, I don't want to fight my friend Kidero. I allow Arthur to take my place. — Shirō said with a sly grin.
— But that's against the rules. I can't allow it. — Moriyama replied.
— I ALLOW IT! — the principal declared, stepping in.
— {Thank goodness. Otherwise, Kidero would've been mad at me. I was going to let him win anyway. But he asked me to let Arthur fight — just to have some fun with that weakling.} — Shirō thought.
— ATTENTION, STUDENTS! THERE'S BEEN A LAST-MINUTE RULE CHANGE. THE NEXT MATCH WILL BE KIDERO VS ARTHUR — BUT IT WILL TAKE PLACE TOMORROW, WITH THE ENTIRE ARENA RESERVED FOR THEM. — Moriyama announced.